I
waited in the car as Jerry made one more trip inside before we left for church
on a recent Sunday (one of us often must make another trip inside to fetch
something we forgot before we go anywhere. LOL). I looked down for a moment and
my gaze caught on sunlight dancing around a metal pendant I wore on a long
chain. I wondered why the light moved as it did because I was sitting still.
But then I realized the pendant moved with every beat of my heart catching the
early morning rays and dispersing them around the filigreed pendant.
I’m
not sure I can explain why I was so moved by that experience, but it may have
something to do with seeing the effect of my own heart beating and the beauty
of the light as it did. And as I pondered the moment, I was reminded of a
greater truth.
As long as our heart is beating, we can reflect the light of Jesus for others. No matter where we go, no matter what we do, we are his people. Sometimes in the natural, we come across situations where it seems God is far away, but he isn’t. We are still his instrument to reflect the glory of Himself.
Early
in my career during the ten years I was a buyer, I entered a large showroom at
the top of one of the tallest buildings in New York City. A colleague commented
on the marble floors and wondered about the engineering it took to accommodate the
weight in a space that size at that height. The decor was elegant times ten.
And the clothes were some of the most sophisticated I had ever seen. When I
stepped to the exterior glass walls, the view included the Statue of Liberty
and New York Harbor easily seen that morning on a cloudless day. My
surroundings that day led me to write in my book, Faith in the Fashion
District, “I had this profound conviction deep in my heart that my life
could not be wrapped around these outward things but absolutely must be
centered on God and His desires for my life.”
There
was something else about that environment that, despite the amazing view that day, evoked something like sadness in
me, as well. God seemed far away, maybe because of such a focus on what was superficial in that place, and yet I realized that I was
there for a reason to be his person in a place that seemed devoid of his
presence. It was one of my greatest challenges up to that point to keep that in
the fore front of my mind and to pray for those I encountered.
I
suppose that is a continual challenge for all of us to move through this world remembering
that we are light bearers for him. To do so, we must hold fast to the words of
Jesus, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be
hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same
way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
In
a much greater way than the light reflected on my pendant, may His light dance
in your life, friend.